Chapter 265: The Filial Son

Wang Mang's authority was supreme and absolute — especially over his own offspring.

When Diwu Lun brought the four siblings to Chang'an, they had arrived full of hope, yet they received not the slightest care or affection from their father; instead, they were kept on an even tighter leash.

Wang Mang utterly loathed imperial clansmen using their status to bully the people, so he reversed the Han dynasty's approach and treated the Wang family with extreme harshness. The Great Han raised its imperial clan like pigs; he raised his sons, grandsons, brothers, and nephews like dogs — watchdogs, hunting dogs, even meat dogs — every one of them had to be put to use. For instance, his two daughters born of concubines: one was married off to the son of the "Obedient Chanyu of the Respectful Slaves" whom Wang Mang had installed, and the other was being prepared to marry Liu Ruzi Ying, who had become a simpleton.

As for the useless ones, like Wang Xing, they had neither power nor wealth, merely bearing the empty title of a state duke.

On ordinary days, Wang Mang didn't even need to shout — a single glance from him would send Wang Xing groveling on the ground, trembling in terror, dreading that he might follow in the footsteps of his elder brothers.

Yet today, faced with his father's furious roar, Wang Xing's first instinct was to shrink back. But then he glanced around — Ju Wuba had not yet returned — and suddenly, malice surged from sheer desperation. Instead, he seized the silk pouch holding the imperial seal with one hand and yanked it hard.

"The imperial seal is too heavy — let your son and subject carry it for you, Imperial Father!"

It was indeed heavy, as if laden with the very realm and its altars. This Heirloom Seal of the Realm was said to be carved from the Heshi Jade, its characters personally inscribed by Li Si. When the Han founder entered Xianyang and reached Bashang, the Qin prince Ziying surrendered on the Zhi Road and presented it with both hands. When Liu Bang assumed the position of Son of Heaven, he wore the seal upon his person, and it was passed down through the generations, called the "Han Heirloom Seal of the Realm." At the tail end of the line, when Liu Ruzi was never enthroned, the seal was sealed away in Changle Palace, in the keeping of the old Empress Dowager Wang Zhengjun.

Back then, when Wang Mang desired the seal, he — always so "filial" — would not show his face personally, so he sent people to exhort Wang Zhengjun, pressing her with threats so severe that even words like "If Wang Mang must have the Heirloom Seal, can the Empress Dowager refuse him to the end?" were spoken. They drove the old widow of the Han house to tears; in a fury, she hurled the seal to the ground, chipping one corner.

Now, the wheel of Heaven's justice has turned full circle: the one who seized the seal has, in the end, had the seal seized from him — and by his own son!

The ancient trees stood verdant; on a branch, five wild sparrows perched in a row, tilting their heads to watch this great drama of father-son strife.

The two men tugged back and forth relentlessly. Wang Mang, just as he did when clinging to power in ordinary times, held on with a death grip and refused to let go. But his belt suddenly snapped in the struggle, and Wang Mang stumbled and fell backward. The imperial seal ended up in Wang Xing's hands. Just as Wang Xing was about to leave, overjoyed, he heard Wang Mang roar in fury: "How dare you, unfilial wretch!"

He turned his head and saw the old emperor, who had never suffered such a loss, brandishing the Shun Emperor dagger and lunging at him, intent on executing his unfilial son with his own hands, inflicting Heaven's punishment upon Wang Xing!

Wang Xing was horrified. He spotted Wang Mang's Son of Heaven sword, "Triumphant Across Ten Thousand Li," lying on the ground, immediately snatched it up, and — with no time to draw the blade from its scabbard — instinctively parried. He sent Wang Mang's dagger, wielded by a man who had never learned hand-to-hand combat, flying far away. It struck a tree, startling the sparrows above, which fluttered away in panic!

Both men froze.

So, I am this frail? Where is Heaven's bestowed virtue, the strength of the Son of Heaven?

So, he is this useless? Where is the emperor's, the father's awe-inspiring authority, the power over life and death, to grant and to take?

Wang Mang could only point at Wang Xing, his beard quivering with rage: "High... high treason!"

Wang Xing recalled the night when Chen Chong was framed — how Wang Mang refused to hear his explanation, threw him directly into prison, and came within a hair's breadth of sending poisoned wine. He recalled his mother and sister, dead amidst the chaos of battle. In that moment, malice surged from sheer desperation, and gripping the Son of Heaven sword, he advanced step by step toward Wang Mang.

"Today, let me show you what true high treason looks like!"

Wang Mang, who had not been beaten in decades, was thrashed terribly today. Wang Xing raised the scabbard high and brought it down on him, raining blows on his head and face, while Wang Mang could only clutch his head with both hands and curl up on the ground.

Once, twice, thrice, four times, five times! Each blow landed harder than the last! They struck his spine, they struck his shoulders! His cap and sash were knocked off, his white hair flew wildly!

Wang Yu, Wang Huo, Wang An, Wang Lin, Wang Zong — four sons, one grandson — all died directly because of Wang Mang. Four committed suicide, one was frightened to death.

In the past, it was a father demanding his son's death, a ruler demanding his subject's death. But today, sword and seal were both lost, paternal authority and sovereign power lay toppled on the ground, and it was his sole remaining son's turn to cane his father!

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Rats sometimes eat their own pups, devouring their offspring, yet the hunger can never be satisfied. And the rat pups, too, have their moment to bite back!

The house of the Great Sage has finally gotten what it wished for: where there is "fatherly kindness," there is "filial piety"!

Wang Xing did not know how many blows he had struck; he beat the white-haired old emperor until he howled. Finally, still not satisfied, he gave him a kick, spat a mouthful of saliva, and hurried away with the imperial seal tucked in his robes.

Wang Mang, bruised and aching all over, could only lie helplessly on the ground, watching Wang Xing, bearing the Son of Heaven sword and the imperial seal, recede step by step and vanish into the depths of the dense forest. For a moment, the old man's tears streamed down. Those were his props for playing the Son of Heaven, the sage. With those two objects taken, what difference was there between him and an ordinary, useless old man?

Yet however satisfying it was for Wang Xing, after the beating, he felt some panic. Add to that the dizzying effect of carrying the jade treasure on his person, and with the sky overcast today, he failed to notice that in his desperate flight, he was not heading north.

But south!

"If Wang Mang truly took the Tangluo Road, then the vicinity of Chenggu County should be the exit."

The Tangluo Road stretched five hundred li, crossing seven mountain ridges in total. The last ridge was called Madao Ridge, where the Tang River originated. On the seventh day of the sixth month, a party of over ten men roamed by the water's edge. This was Gongsun Hui, younger brother of Gongsun Shu, who, upon the shocking news last month that Diwu Lun had rebelled and Geng Yan was attacking Weibei, had immediately traveled south from Maoling.

They had set out earlier than Wang Mang's flight, entering the Baoxie Road before the great chaos began. Since the mounted messenger had already gone south to Shu Commandery, Gongsun Hui decided to stay temporarily in Hanzhong to gather more information.

The age of chaos had already begun. Early in the month, a deputy general of the Gengshi regime from Nanyang had attacked Yun Pass, the eastern gateway of Hanzhong Commandery, with several thousand troops. This left the local Grand Governor Wang Lin with no time to send loyalist troops to Wang Mang; the commandery troops were transferred east to resist desperately, and no one knew how long they could hold out.

Within Hanzhong itself, bandits ran rampant. At this juncture, Gongsun Hui, arriving in Chenggu County, heard that Wang Mang's minister Cui Fa had fled via the Tangluo Road, stayed in this county for a day, and even organized men to go into the mountains to "receive the imperial carriage."

However, this news triggered a popular uprising in Chenggu — Wang Mang had conscripted no small number of Hanzhong men for his three campaigns against Gouding, and the locals' hatred for him was even deeper than that of Guanzhong. Was a Son of Heaven who had lost the capital still a Son of Heaven? Was this not the perfect time to beat a drowning dog!

Thereupon, the local strongmen of the county directly coerced the County Magistrate into rising up, frightening Cui Fa so much that he abandoned any thought of Wang Mang and could only flee east to the Hanzhong capital: Xicheng.

The people of Chenggu also began blocking the roads and searching the mountain forests, intent on capturing Wang Mang.

Gongsun Hui witnessed this scene and led his retinue to feign assistance, but in truth, he wanted to see if he could seize the opportunity and catch a big fish.

They circled by the banks of the Tang River for a day or two and found nothing. Just as they were about to turn back, they spotted a disheveled young man, using a seven-chi longsword as a walking stick, scooping water from the riverbank with his hands to drink. Judging by his fine clothes, now torn to shreds, perhaps this was the big fish they had been waiting for!

Gongsun Hui waved his hand, and his men rushed forward, seizing the young man and bringing him before them.

"Speak! Who are you?"

Wang Xing was so terrified he stammered, unable to speak. He knew he had taken the wrong path, crossed the wrong ridge. Everywhere, people with torches were searching the mountains. His idea of defecting to Diwu Lun was sound, but only after carrying the jade treasure did he realize the immense difficulties.

He didn't need to answer. The sword and seal he had just seized from Wang Mang the day before were taken from him. The sword, as radiant as the Snake-Slaying Sword, was clearly no common object at a glance.

They untied the silk pouch, revealing a yellow corded ribbon. Lifting it out, they saw an exquisitely beautiful jade seal: a chi-dragon knob, six-sided, the jade color glittering and translucent, dazzling the eye! A pity the precious jade had a slight flaw — one corner had been chipped, repaired only with gold.

Gongsun Hui recalled something and immediately flipped it over. Because it was in Qin dynasty bird-worm seal script, and reversed, he could not recognize the characters at first. It was only after he breathed on it and pressed it against the back of his hand —

"Having received the Mandate from Heaven, may you enjoy long life and eternal prosperity!?"

This was... the Qin-Han Heirloom Seal of the Realm!

Gongsun Hui was instantly overjoyed. Their days of sleeping rough and waiting for a chance had not been in vain! This object was even more useful than Wang Mang's head.

"Heaven's will. This is Heaven's will."

"Take this man away."

Gongsun Hui was ecstatic: "Back to Shu! I shall present this treasure to my elder brother!"

In the Xin Dynasty, among the local officials of the two-thousand-dan rank who could "span provinces and link commanderies," there was Tian Kuang, there was Diwu Lun, and there was one more: the Governor of Daojiang (Shu Commandery), Gongsun Shu.

Gongsun Shu had been in Shu for over a decade, governing his jurisdiction in perfect order, a stark contrast to the surrounding commanderies impoverished by the southern campaigns against Gouding. He also recruited worthy men and scholars. Years ago, when Diwu Lun escorted his teacher's coffin into Shu, Gongsun Shu had come to mourn and weep, and later recruited Diwu Lun's senior fellow apprentice, Hou Ba — who guarded Yang Xiong's tomb — as an official, thus winning the hearts of many scholars.

However, he had always kept a low profile, even more unassuming than Diwu Lun. Although his reputation for worthiness, slowly accumulated, had spread throughout Yizhou, on the surface he still confined himself to his jurisdiction, with his administrative seat at Linqiong.

This place was also an ancient city from the Qin dynasty, with shops and establishments lining the streets, second only to Chengdu. Moreover, it was near iron mountains, and Gongsun Shu, managing the iron office, had secretly amassed no small store of armor and weapons. He, too, saw that the Xin Dynasty's days were numbered and had been quietly making preparations.

"This day has come, after all!"

When Gongsun Shu received the urgent report his younger brother Gongsun Hui had dispatched last month — saying that Guanzhong was in chaos, Diwu Lun had already taken Chang'an, and Wang Mang had fled — he was momentarily overcome with mixed feelings, both gladdened and worried, but that did not stop him from immediately rallying his spirits and ordering a carriage prepared at once.

"I shall go to Chengdu, to 'pay my respects' to the Governor of Yizhou!"

"My lord, how many men should we bring?"

"Three thousand... no, five thousand!"

Chengdu was the heart of Yizhou, the largest city in the southwest, and the objective Gongsun Shu was determined to seize.

Gongsun Shu had already formed a clear judgment of the coming situation; as the carriage set out, he leaned on the rail, gazing upon the fertile lands of Yi, his spirit soaring.

"The Xin has lost its deer — all under heaven now chase it!"

Although Peng Chong had been defeated and fallen back to Zheng County, he was still holding the easternmost edge of Diwu Lun's territory and was the first to learn of the battle at Yingchuan; he sent a man back to report to Diwu Lun.

"As expected of Xiù-er. Kunyang — you still won!" But what left Diwu Lun embarrassed was that the letter had already been sent.

The full details were not yet known. This matter held both advantages and disadvantages for Diwu Lun. The advantage was that the Grand Minister of Works could hardly save himself now; after this defeat, the army marching to the sovereign's aid would likely never return, and the morale of Tian Kuang's troops would plummet.

The disadvantage was that more commanderies and counties east of the passes would surrender to the Greenwood, and the rapidly swelling Gengshi regime might develop ambitions of entering the pass.

"Seal off the news at once. Stall for as many days as we can."

Diwu Lun needed to buy a few days for Feng Yan, who was traveling west with the Snake-Slaying Sword to enthrone the child Ying as emperor; otherwise, once Longyou learned the truth, they would flip again.

It was now the eighth day of the sixth month. On only the ninth day since the army had entered Chang'an, Diwu Lun had already adjusted his strategy: to the west, negotiate peace with Longyou and feign agreement to Liu Xin's proposed merger of Guanzhong and Longyou; to the east, since the envoy sent to Tian Kuang had been murdered by him, only one path remained — to annihilate him by force!

And it had to be fast. Within half a month, Diwu Lun had to seize the Shiwei Commandery! Only then could his plan — to shift his main force north of the Wei River, use the old Hexi territory from the Warring States period as a springboard to attack Hedong, and link his holdings into one contiguous block — be realized!

Yet just as Diwu Lun was mobilizing his forces and readying the army for the eastern campaign against Tian Kuang, he was shocked to hear of trouble within the city.

Shi Chen, the Xin Dynasty's General Who Pacifies the Beginning — the man who had nearly become old Wang Mang's father-in-law — hurried over to report, bringing Diwu Lun news that left him unsure whether to laugh or cry.

"The late State-Founding General Zhao Hong sent someone to invite me to a secret talk, saying that since Grand Minister of Works Wang Yi has routed the Greenwood, and now rides the prestige of a great victory as he returns with an army of several hundred thousand to rescue the sovereign, Guanzhong surely cannot hold and Diwu is doomed — and urging me to betray you, General!"

State-Founding General Zhao Hong, one of the four great generals of the Xin Dynasty, was the very man who had opened the city gates to welcome Diwu Lun, full of flattery. And this man, by his own conduct, proved one thing: no matter who came — whether a phantom army marching to the sovereign's aid, or Longyou, or the Greenwood — he would immediately open the gates and beg to surrender!

Shi Chen, however, saw things more clearly. For one, the news of Wang Yi's great victory was dubious; for another, even if Wang Mang returned, he would never spare any who had betrayed him — least of all this relative by marriage.

Diwu Lun had spread the word of "Wang Yi's great victory" to deceive Longyou; he had not expected the first to fall for it would be "one of his own"!

The imperial army has been utterly destroyed, and you're still here "welcoming the imperial army"?

Still, forcing these unstable elements to blow up ahead of time was a good thing. Diwu Lun immediately sent men to deal with this "traitor," while inwardly laughing in silent disbelief:

"Comrades of the Strategic Deception Bureau, you've rendered a great service!"

PS: Chapter 2 at 13:00. (Will be about an hour late.)

(Chapter 3 at 18:00.)